


Colour Coding

by orphan_account



Series: Adventures of Alien Bean Branch [4]
Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 18:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13487079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Alright, asshole, prepare to get castrated!"It was always a good day when your friend kicked down your door, wielding a wiffle ball bat and yelling bloody murder.---Or, Alien Branch meets the Snack Pack for the first time.





	Colour Coding

**Author's Note:**

> To start, I'd like to say... I am so sorry. This shouldn't have taken as long as it has - what, five months? Maybe more? That's appalling. I have no excuse. I'm not going through anything, there's no trouble, I'm just a lazy piece of shit and I am so sorry. But the word count is higher this time, if that's any consolation! It's not. Sorry.

"Alright, asshole, prepare to get castrated!"

It was always a good day when your friend kicked down your door, wielding a wiffle ball bat and yelling bloody murder.

"Smidge," Poppy sighed, rubbing her head. There was far too much going on today. "I love you, but if I need a new door, you're paying for it."

"You!" Smidge all but screamed. "You texted us with a Code Teal! That means you're being held hostage by some derranged cis-het and require immediate rescue! I see no cis-hets!"

"Smidge!" Guy gasped, looking at the shorter girl with a mix of horror and betrayal. "Code _Viridian_ is cishet emergency, Code Teal is baking crisis!"

"Is not!" Chenille slapped him on the shoulder, pointing him accusingly with a sewing pin. She and Satin had clearly rushed from work. Oops. "Code Teal is 'need hugs immediately', Code Viridian is fashion emergency, and Code _Mocha_ is baking crisis!"

"Wait, whoa, I thought Code Mocha was coffee crisis?"

"Why would Code Mocha be for coffee?"

_"Mocha is a coffee, you pretzel!"_

"OKAY!" Poppy yelled, clapping her hands. "Not that it isn't great that you guys all up and ran over, that's really sweet, but I kinda need your help!"

It was at this point that the Snack Pack finally noticed the confused boy sat at Poppy's kitchen table, holding his mug mid-sip.

"Who's the dude?" Cooper frowned.

"Cis-het?"

"Hooker?"

"Guy!"

"What?!" Guy shrugged. "Just asking! 'Sides, just look at him - looks like a fursuit hooker to me."

"And how exactly would you know that, Guy?" Suki grinned.

"... Research."

"Excuse me," the whole Snack Pack perked up when they heard the boy speak. "What is... _hooker?_ And, fursuit? I do not understand."

Poppy sighed again, massaging her temples gently as she tried to find the right words.

"Everyone, this is Branch. He's a... You should probably come inside."

/\/\/\

"So, basically," Creek said, resting his chin on his hands. "You're telling us that you found an odd looking, strangely dressed boy, who spoke in a weird language, under a bridge, and he electrocuted you?"

"Yes." Poppy nodded.

"And then you invited said boy back to your home?"

"... Yes."

"Where he electrocuted you again?"

"That is correct."

"And then he could suddenly speak English?"

"And Japanese. And some French. And one word in German."

"Okay, yeah, Poppy?"

"Mhm?"

"You can't expect us to believe this."

"Why not?" Poppy pouted, waving her hands at the boy. "He's _there_ , isn't he? Have you ever seen anyone who looked like that before?"

"I can hear you." The possible alien huffed, his pointed, elfish ears twitching irritably. His ashy grey skin tinted yellow, and the marks on his face glowed pink.

"See!?" Poppy screeched. "People don't change colour like that!"

"Michael Jackson did."

"Guy, now is not the time for Michael Jackson!"

There were several gasps from across the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just-" Poppy lightly tugged on her ponytail. "Lotta stuff going on here. Sorry."

"Michael... Who?" The boy frowned, looking at each of the Snack Pack for help.

"Yep. Definitely an alien." Suki said. "There isn't a single person on the planet who hasn't heard of Michael Jackson." The others couldn't help but nod solemnly.

"Okay, as much as I love to discuss Michael Jackson, we need to stay focussed here." Creek huffed. "This thing, whatever it is-"

"Branch."

"What?"

"Branch." Poppy repeated. "His name's Branch. And he's a he, not an it."

Creek stared at her in disbelief.

"You named the puppy?"

"I - no?" Poppy tilted her head. "That's his name, he told me - well, his real names pretty long and hard to pronounce, so I figured-"

"You named the puppy." Creek sighed, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I came with the name." The boy muttered, scowling at his feet. Creek narrowed his eyes at him, and sighed again, heavily.

"Look, mate - uh, Stick?"

"Branch."

"Right. Look, this is all a little hard for us - all of us. So we're gonna need you to lend us a hand, yeah?"

The boy tilted his head like a lost puppy - perhaps Creeks comparison wasn't that far off.

"But... I like my hands...?"

The whole Snack Pack dissolved into giggles as Creek gaped, probably contemplating his will to live.

"No, uh, I mean - " He gestured vaguely, trying to somehow get his point across in a way this thing would understand.

"Are you an alien or aren'tcha?!" Smidge yelled, pointing at him accusingly with a spoon.

That'll do.

"Smidge!" Poppy yelped. "Don't yell at him, he'll -"

Branch had already jumped out of his chair, hissing angrily on all fours as his back arched like a cat. Four sharp quills tore out of the too-big shirt he'd been given to wear, bristling like a porcupine.

"... Do that." Poppy finished lamely.

"What the hell is that!?" Creek all but screeched.

"Guys, I'm beginning to think he might be an alien." Cooper said as he attempted to hide behind a potted cactus.

"Just, let me-" Poppy ran forward as Branch hissed and backed away from her. His pupils were blown so wide that his eyes were almost completely black. "Hey, hey, bud, it's okay - OH, that is not okay, repeat, that is not okay!!"

Branch had begun thrashing, his tail whipping around and quills shooting into the walls. He bared his teeth and spat angrily, looking back and forth for an exit. Each member of the Snack Pack ducked for cover - except for Biggie, that is, who ran straight into the fray.

"Biggie!" Poppy cried from behind her chair. "Be careful, we don't know how... How... How the fuck did you do that?!"

Where had once been an enraged beast was now a tamed kitten, lying on his back as Biggie stroked his head gently, making shushing noises. He scratched behind Branch's ears and the boy all but melted, rumbling like an engine.

"He was just scared." Biggie smiled. "Strange as it may seem, screaming at nervous animals doesnt tend to help much."

"But, but..." Poppy's gaped, ignoring Smidge's huffing. "How?!"

"Oh, it's easy! I just blocked out Smidge and distracted him from why he was so angry. Seriously, you should've seen Mr Dinkles when I first got him, he was exactly like this!" Before Biggie could start going on another rant about his darling cat (to be fair, Mr Dinkles was very sweet and a valued member of the Snack Pack, but he could dial it down a bit), Branch had nudged his hand with his head, forcing Biggie to keep petting him.

"Blessed." Biggie whispered. "I am so blessed. Come on, you have to try this, _he is so soft sweet Jesus!!"_

One by one, the whole Snack Pack joined in.

"This is the best day of my life."

"Ohhhh I love him!"

"Okay, this is exactly like chinchilla fur."

"Poppy, where did you find him? I want, like, twelve."

"OKAY," Creek said loudly, standing from his chair and spreading his arms. "Am I the only one who remembers that this is an alien?!"

"Oh, so _now_ he's an alien."

"Not the time!" He snapped, shooting Suki a look. "Poppy, please, we don't know what this thing can do! You have to call someone, now."

"But - Creek!" Poppy protested, stroking Branch with one hand and raising the other at Creek in a stopping motion. "We can't! You've seen E.T, you know what they do to aliens here!"

"Poppy." Creek sighed. "That's a kids film about a _puppet._ "

The whole Snack Pack gasped in horror.

"Sorry, okay, I'm sorry!!" He said, trying to do damage control. "But come on, guys! Doesn't this seem a little strange to you? That - that _thing_ just tried to attack us!"

"He was _scared_ , Creek-"

"He's an animal!"

"Well, technically, all people are-"

"Cooper, would you just, please-!" Creek sighed, cutting himself off. "Okay. Okay, fine. If you guys want to keep an alien hidden in Poppy's apartment, I won't stop you. But Poppy," he said, firmly, but not aggressively. "Think about this. Okay? Think about all the risks and stuff that could go wrong. It's only fair to both you and him. Can you promise me that?"

Poppy shifted, rubbing the tip of one of Branch's pointed ears.

_"Poppy?"_

"Yes." She said quietly, avoiding Creek's gaze. "Fine. I'll think about it."

"Great. In that case," Creek rose himself up and gestured to the whole Snack Pack. "I think we all have some important stuff we should be getting back to." The group stayed on the floor, exchanging small confused glances. "... School? Activities? _Our jobs?"_

"Ohhh!"

The Pack finally got up and grabbed their bags and jackets, wishing Poppy luck and making sure to give Branch one last pet.

"Seriously, Smidge," Guy Diamond laughed as he shrugged on his bedazzled jacket, and nodded at her wiffle ball bat. "How were you going to castrate someone with that?"

Smidge grinned, and firmly slammed it into Guy's groin.

"Poppy?" A small voice said as the door closed on Guy's howls of pain. Poppy turned, only now noticing Branch nudging her still hand with his head. She giggled gently, and returned to stroking her arm from his hair to the small of his back and back up again.

Branch smiled absently, drunk on his little high.

"Poppy."

"Yeah, bud." She smiled, scratching the little sweet spot behind his ear and watching as the alien melted into a purring puddle of boy. "Right here, E.T."

"Poppy... Poppy..? Poppy!"

"Uhm, whuh-?"

Poppy jolted out of her day-dreaming, almost falling out of bed. Branch growled next to her, and poked her forehead.

"You're not _listening_."

"I am so listening!" She protested, poking him back. "And I am _very_ interested about... Uhh..."

Branch smirked, antennae flicking in that little way it did when he was smug. The risk was there. She had to take it.

"... Trol'kan food?"

His smirk dropped.

"Lucky guess." The alien pouted, crackling his antennae indignantly. Poppy giggled, grabbing a throw pillow and stuffing it in his face.

Poppy couldn't remember how Branch started bunking in her room. The first night, he'd just stood outside her doorway awkwardly as she was about to get ready for bed, his pillow in hand. He'd looked so awkward, bless him, like a little lost puppy with nowhere to go. She didn't question it, though; Branch got frustrated when she questioned his socially awkward behaviour. She'd taken his hand and led him to her bed, reminding him that the wall side was hers. It's not like he would've taken the wall side, anyway. Branch liked being able to jump out of bed and into action at a moments notice. _Paranoid._

 _Only one night,_ Poppy'd convinced herself. _Only one._ But then Branch had a nightmare ("It was not a nightmare, don't laugh!!"), and then they'd fallen asleep during a Stranger Things marathon, and then he just started coming in, like it was normal. And she let him. Because it was normal.

"-oppy? Poppy!!" Branch huffed, tapping her head repeatedly, like an enraged furry woodpecker. "You're not listening _again!!"_

"Am so!"

"Then what does _shira nil tekar'ma_ mean?"

"Um." Poppy blanked. Shit. "'You're not listening'?"

Branch growled again.

"You're telepathic."

"Nope." She grinned, poking out her tongue. "Just lucky."

The alien rolled his eyes.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked gently, his previous annoyance fading from his features. "Don't say you weren't. You're eyes go misty when you do."

She wasn't too sure what that meant, but she'd answer anyways.

"Yknow. Meeting you."

"Under the bridge?" Branch frowned, eyebrows quirking. "Because I did say I was sorry about electrocuting you, I really didn't mean-"

"Not that!" Poppy giggled, slapping his arm gently. "When you met the Snack Pack? Went all wild man on us?"

The stripy, geometric markings on Branch's face flooded with pink, like glowsticks.

"That was Smidge's fault and you know it!" He snapped, pulling the blankets over to his side.

"Bed hog." Poppy teased. Branch rolled his eyes, but the bridge of his nose and his ear-tips were growing steadily pinker. "She's toned down since then."

"I suppose. It was still startling."

"Yeah." Poppy's eyes softened as she looked up at the alien in her bed. "That... That couldn't have been easy for you."

Branch twitched his eyebrows again, prompting her to continue.

"Yknow. Earth? Crash landing?" She suddenly felt very small under Branch's gaze. He had the kind of eyes that could see everything you were thinking in one second. "I - I don't think I ever asked you about that. How it was for you. And stuff."

There was a moment of silence where Poppy felt like she's royally fucked up without really knowing how, until Branch spoke up.

"It's better now, I think." He said softly, his voice lighting up the darkness. "I didn't really notice before, but - I can do more now. I go outside more. Talk more. Earth isn't as... Overwhelming, as it was. Your food isn't that bad."

Poppy snorted, and leaned her face on his side. It was a bit of a strange angle - him sitting, her lying - but it worked itself out.

"You're learning, young one."

"We're the same age? Roughly? Comparing Trol'kan years to human years, that is."

"Joke, Branch. It's a joke."

"Oh."

Poppy prepares to scold him, but stops herself. He didn't apologise. Normally, when Branch made a mistake or misread a situation, he'd apologise and close up, his insecurities flooding through him like molten lava. Not this time. This time was just, oh.

He really was getting better.

"Are you happy?" Poppy blurted out, suddenly. Shoot. That wasn't supposed to happen. Branch looked at her inquisitingly. Shoot, shoot.

"I'm not unhappy." He said quietly. "I... I do miss them. A lot, really. It hurts, most times."

Them. The Trol'kans. Branch's family.

His _missing_ family. His _presumed dead_ family.

"We'll find 'em." She blurts again, burrowing into his shirt. "I can feel it."

Branch just smiled and nodded. The silence hung heavily, and Poppy could see him purse his lips, holding back words she so badly wanted to know.

"Tell me about them." God damn, this really was the day of blurting, wasn't it?

The alien looked her, his ears pricking slightly.

_Tell me. I want to know. I want to **help**._

He looks at her, cautious, observing. The walls around his heart creep up again, for a moment, and then they fall, slowly, carefully, letting his feelings seep out of their cage.

"... I had a few friends, on Csiktala. Koda was probably my best friend. She was - _is -_ a hybrid, you know - her genetics are actually very fascinating..."

Poppy tried hard to listen, truly, she did. But the more she watched Branch's eyes flicker with excitement and gesture his arms wildly to accentuate his story, the more she was certain that she needed to contact the group chat immediately, because she was pretty sure this was a Code Magenta, and she was _not_ going to suffer alone.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll leave it up to you guys to decide what Code Magenta means


End file.
